


Sorry Isn't Enough

by animariri



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hokage Hatake Kakashi, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-08
Updated: 2017-09-08
Packaged: 2018-12-25 09:45:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12033336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/animariri/pseuds/animariri
Summary: I feel a little unsatisfied with how this ended, but I think that's because Naruto is and that's the point of the whole thing. Sorry if it left you frustrated, but just imagine how Naruto feels. :(





	Sorry Isn't Enough

The clouds were drifting by slowly today. Not many minutes – a total of eight – had passed since Naruto had lain down but even so he already found himself to be restless. With an impatient expression, he tilted his head back a little to glance at the other boy whose head was just a little bit away from his own.

“Shikamaru?”

 

The insecurity in Naruto’s voice was obvious to Shikamaru, but the other man didn’t open his eyes as he hummed in reply. He knew that Naruto wasn’t the type to lie down and do nothing for too long, but for him to not even manage to stay still for even ten minutes was a new record.

 

“This ain’t for me,” Naruto exclaimed as he moved to sit up on the ground instead. Reaching out to pull at the grass before him, restless, he glanced at his friend. “Say…”

 

Shikamaru sighed as he sat up as well, turning his brown eyes at the blonde with an expectant look – he knew a ramble was about to come in.

“What?”

 

Naruto watched his friend for a few long moments, trying to formulate the sentences in his mind before he said them out loud, but to no avail.

“Say!” he exclaimed instead. “How many dates have ya been on? With Temari? How’s all that going?”

 

The surprise showed comically on Shikamaru’s face – that was not what he had expected.

“Eh…” Shikamaru forcefully cleared his throat as he rubbed the back of his head, starting to count the times they had been out to dinner alone.

 

Seeing his friend so flustered, Naruto laughed. Though as the other started to seriously consider his question, his expression grew from amused to neutral and upon realizing that the number Shikamaru was going to give him was going to feel like a punch to the stomach no matter what it was, he instead suddenly shook his head.

“Never mind!”  Naruto cut off Shikamaru in his thinking. “I remembered I have to do something so…”

 

Shikamaru watched as Naruto stood up and then with a sigh he followed suit.  
“Naruto,” he said once the other man had turned his back towards him. “He’ll be back today… The sixth said,” he let him know. “…maybe about time you get things sorted out.”

 

“I know…” Naruto’s voice was low and the silence that followed heavy.  
  
“Naruto,” Shikamaru said again then, walking closer but stopped a step behind the taller man and then reached out to give him a hard push in the back, making Naruto stumble forth in surprise.

 

“Oi, Shika-!” Naruto turned toward his friend, his blue eyes wide open, but he was caught off guard as he saw how the other one smiled at him.

 

“Give it your all,” he encouraged. “It’s not like you to hold back.”

 

 

                The road by the gate had never felt so lonely before, Naruto thought as he was standing by the same tree he had been by when Sasuke had left. The sky had already gone dark and most of Konoha was already fast asleep. Neither Kakashi nor Shikamaru knew when Sasuke would be back but he had said that he would be back sometime today for some research purposes. It was likely that he was already back and had just gone directly to handle his business and if that was the case, then Naruto would just have to catch him before he left.

 

Unless he had already left? Naruto frowned as that thought crossed his mind. Maybe that was why he hadn’t seen Sasuke at all during all this time when he had been standing here – maybe he had already left. Maybe he was better off just going home to sleep? Not that he…

Naruto’s thoughts got cut off as he heard footsteps and his eyes widened. He didn’t look up but kept his eyes fixed on a flower in the ground – this presence, it felt like Sasuke…

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

Sasuke’s voice was low and flat, it sounded like it always had. His voice had always been clear and managed to cut through most disturbances. His words always managed to reach Naruto’s ears and every time it added yet another fine cut to his heart, even if he didn’t mean to. Just like now.

 

“I was waiting for you, Sasuke,” Naruto answered after a little while and finally then looked up at his friend. It had been 49 days since he had seen him last. “Were you going to leave without even greeting your friends?”

 

“I don’t have time for this,” Sasuke answered his friend’s questions as he started to walk and passed the tree by which Naruto was standing.  


Naruto’s eyes followed Sasuke as he walked, running over his raven hair, his sharp jawline and what he could see of his neck –

 

On his neck was a clearly reddened area, just by his jaw.

 

Naruto’s eyes widened as he felt as though someone threw a kunai right at his heart.

 

“Did you,” he asked hurriedly, turning to look at Sasuke’s back. “Did you at least see Sakura-chan?”

 

Sasuke stopped and glanced over his shoulder at the other one. “What does that have to do with you?”

 

“We’re friends!” Naruto walked closer to his friend but suddenly stopped. “Sasuke…”

 

“I did,” Sasuke turned around and looked at the blonde then, a tired expression on his face. “Naruto, what is it? Speak up.”

 

When asked so clearly, Naruto felt the figurative kunai digging deeper and he found it hard to say or even do anything other than just stare at the other one.

  
Sasuke waited, but when Naruto didn’t say anything, he frowned just a little and took a step closer.

“What is it?”

 

Naruto felt as if his eyes were on fire. He didn’t want to actually cry, but the kunai just kept digging in deeper and it was almost getting impossible not to.

 

                _“Naruto,” Kurama said. “Stop being such a wimp, say it or I’ll say it for you.”_  
  


It was so much easier said than done…

 

“Don’t…” Naruto’s voice was low, barely above a whisper, and his eyes were on the ground. “Don’t go…”

 

“Huh?” Sasuke blinked. “What do you mean?”

 

Having said those two words now, it felt as though the dam holding off Naruto’s true feelings suddenly broke and now it all wanted to come out at once. He walked up to  Sasuke, grabbing a hold on to his black cape with his both hands.

 

“Don’t go!” he repeated himself, tear filled, honest eyes looking straight into Sasuke’s. “Sasuke, don’t you… I don’t want you to go, I don’t want you to leave, I want you to stay, to-!”

 

“Get off,” Sasuke shoved the younger away with his arm and took a step back. With a frown, he looked as Naruto again came closer but this time at least didn’t hold on to him.

“What’s with you?”

 

“Sasuke…” Naruto breathed heavily as he walked closer yet again and quickly dried his cheeks from the tears that had fallen. “Don’t you get it? I love you, stay here, don’t leave me alone anymore, Sasuke I know you’ll turn me down cause you have Sakura-chan and I’m happy for you but-”

 

“Naruto,” Sasuke cut off his friend and once their eyes met they both fell silent.

 

“Sa…” Naruto started, though didn’t even manage to finish the sentence before he sank down to his knees on the ground. He knew that this was how it would turn out; he knew that Sasuke was with Sakura and that things were going somewhat well for them. He knew that there was no way that Sasuke would actually look at him in a romantic way, but even so he had thought – just like Shikamaru had said – that it would feel better to say these things out loud. But now that he had…

Seeing how Sasuke knelt before him, Naruto quickly lifted his eyes to meet those of his friend.

 

“Sasuke…”

 

“Naruto,” Sasuke gave the other a soft smile. Naruto always managed to look small when he was in moods similar to this. “You’re my best friend. Next time I’ll stay longer and we can catch up.”

 

When the word friend left Sasuke’s lips, Naruto lowered his head and nodded. They were best friends who needed to catch up…

 

“Go back home and get some sleep,” Sasuke helped his friend up to his feet again and then took a small step back. “I’ll let you know when I come back.”

 

“Be…” Naruto hesitantly looked up at Sasuke. “Be careful…”

 

And just like that it was over. Sasuke turned around and left the village again for who knew how long and left by the gate, watching his back slowly get smaller, was Naruto. Tears were streaming down his face and once Sasuke was far away enough, he once again fell down to his knees and this time also hit his fists to the ground.

 

If there weren’t people sleeping nearby, Naruto would scream on the top of his lungs – try to express the pain he felt in his chest. But as he couldn’t, he instead just sobbed quietly and hit his fists to the ground once more. It didn’t take long before exhaustion fell over him though and his fists unclenched, only then did he notice bumps in the ground.

 

Puzzled, Naruto withdrew his hands and looked at the area on the ground before him – one word had been engraved. When it had happened he didn’t know, though it only made sense that it would have been when he had knelt to help him back up.

 

_Sorry_

Naruto didn’t know what to feel or how to react, though his instant reaction was to ruin any trace of Sasuke having been there.

 

How he did it he didn’t remember – Kurama did most of the job – but moments later the area where the word had been written was a few decimeter deep pit and Naruto had his back against it as he walked back to Konohagakure, heading home, tears still in his eyes.

 

Now what?

**Author's Note:**

> I feel a little unsatisfied with how this ended, but I think that's because Naruto is and that's the point of the whole thing. Sorry if it left you frustrated, but just imagine how Naruto feels. :(


End file.
